Laughing Gull

I was down in Cork City on the 30th December and made the short trip out to Ballycotton to catch up with the Laughing Gull that has been present there for the last year.  The bird spent much of its time flying up and down the pier wall fishing out over the sea.

Laughing Gull at Ballycotton John N Murphy

Tropical Galway

I was in Galway on the 29th December to search for gulls at Nimmo's Pier along the waterfront.  Now I know that Galway has a large Brazilian population, and I know that in recent years many good rare Trans-Atlantic vagrants have made it across the to this part of Ireland, but I was not aware that Global warming had reached this part of the west of Ireland so quickly.  On the main road between Oranmore and Galway City I spotted this Amazonian Blue and Yellow (Gold) Macaw.  I'm sure there is some unhappy owner missing this fine creature.  I checked on the net to find that these magnificent birds can be purchased for up to two grand.  I would be pissed if my expensive Christmas present flew the coop especially at this price.  Anyway I got to the city and managed to see three Ring-billed Gulls on the slip at Nimmo's (one first-winter and two adults) as seen below.

 

 Blue and Yellow Macaw just outside Galway City John N Murphy

 Adult Ring-billed Gulls at the Slipway at Nimmo's Pier John N Murphy

First-winter Ring-billed Gull on the slipway in Galway John N Murphy

 

Monterey Shoreline

During our trip to California in November and in Monterey Harbour and surrounding shoreline there were lots of gulls, Cormorants, terns and shorebirds.  Apologies in advance for the selection of gulls for those non Larifiles out there, but I could have shown many, many more.

 Western Gulls John N Murphy

Heermann's Gulls  John N Murphy

Elegant Tern with Red-breasted Merganser in the background John N Murphy 

 

Pelagic Cormorant John N Murphy 

Double Crested Cormorant with Brandt's Cormorant in the background John N Murphy 

 Snowy Egret John N Murphy

 Eared Grebe John N Murphy

Ring-necked Duck

I was working near Bellmullet in Mayo during the week and I visited Carrowmore Lake over two separate days 17th & 18th December.  Within a flock of 22 Tufted Ducks at the pump house end of the lake was this adult drake Ring-necked Duck.  Apologies for the bad images as the weather in Mayo was wet, dark and windy all week long with little or no brightness.  Also on the lake were 15 Whooper Swans, four Goldeneye, two Turnstones and a flock of 44 Tufted Ducks.

 

Drake Ring-necked Duck at Lough Carrowmore near Bangor Erris, John N Murphy
 

Brown Pelicans

A trip to the US west coast and Pacific would not be complete without the inclusion of Brown Pelicans.  It is hard not to take photos of these monsters.  Here are some shots of birds around Monterey.

Brown Pelicans adult and juveniles John N Murphy